Box Score

BLUEFIELD, Va. - The Union University softball team is one step closer to playing for back-to-back National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) titles. Union defeated Grace (Ind.) College 7-2 to advance to the national semifinals versus Oklahoma Christian University in an elimination game. Sophomore catcher Reagan Schrader  hit her 15th home run of the season, setting a school record for home runs in a season. She tied the record in the first game of the national tournament with a grandslam versus Azusa Pacific (Calif.) University.

Union won last season's NCCAA National Title, the fourth in school history. 

Union is 3-1 to this point in the tournament with the only loss coming to second seeded Oklahoma Christian, 8-0 in six innings. Union is seeded sixth, which is where the Lady Bulldogs were last season. Union faces Oklahoma Christian at 1 p.m. CST with a return trip to the national title game on the line. 

Union scored in four of the seven innings, including one in the second and third innings, two in the fifth, and three in the sixth inning. Sarah Kreuter his a solo home run in the second, while Schrader's record setting home run came as a solo shot in the third. Shelby Lamb drove in two in the fifth on a single, and then earned another RBI in the sixth on a double. Schrader added an RBI on a ground out in the sixth, while Erin Picard added an RBI single. Grace scored single runs in the third and seventh to set the final at 7-2. Alex Williams got her second start of the tournament, tossing three innings, allowing one run on six hits with two strikouts. Kelly Robey (25-19) tossed the final four innings in relief, earning the win, giving up one run on four hits with six strikeouts. 

#UNION#